Door-closing mechanism for dry-cleaning washing machines



Feb; 16,1926. 1,573,666 G. W. WIL$ON DOOR CLOSING MECHANISM FOR DRY CLEANING WASHING MACHINES Filed May 25, 1923 INVENTOR BY 2% t 03M 7 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, 1926. j

, UNITED .srArES- GEORGE w. wILson, or READING,-'OHIO,

AssIeNoR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY j MACHINE Y cQMrANY, or CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF oHIo.

. I p l DOOR-CLOSING MECHANISM FOR DRY-CLEANING WASHING MACHINES.

Application fil ed 25,

To all whom/it mag concern. f. 1

Beit known that I, GEORGE lV. WiLsoN, a citizen of the .United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Hamilton and, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door closing Mechanism for Dry-CleaningYVVa-shing' Machines, ofwhichthe following is aispecification. I

This inventionrelates to the class of wash ing machines used forcleansing garments with gasoline and more particularly to that.

.ing of fire.

vide such a device in which 'the melting of a fusewill automatically set into operation type of machine in which mea-ns is provided for automaticallypreventing spread.

The objectsof this inventioii ajre to, pro- *certain mechanism which will close the door of'air to'the container and of theco-ntain'er so as to preventspreajding of theffire beyond the confines of the" washmeans for automaticallyclosing the fluefof the machine cas ng sofas to preventfingress thereby smother the ,firein the container. f.

Other objects v of the invention will appear from the following.ldescript-ion, and claims when considered together with the drawings.

Fig.1 showsinpart an end elevation of my improved. device applied'to a washing machine; Fig. 2 is asectiona-l view showing the details of my improved device taken. on. line 2-2 of 'F ig.-"1;an d Fig; 3' is a detai View talien on line of Fig. 2. I

This invention constitutes a modification of the invention disclosedin theapplication, Serial No. 642,505, filed May 31, 1923 by- HowardC. Curtiss. v

The type of washing machine to 'Whiclr the present invention relatesis wellknown in the art and comprises the outer'casing'll in which is rotatably mounted thescontainer 2, this container being operated by means of suitable mecha nism as indicated in general way by reference numeral 3. The. .outer casing is provlded with an opening 4 .permitting ac'cess to thefinterior thereof and this opening is adapted to'be closed the door 5 which is hinged at the point 6.

1923. Serial No. 641527.

the outer casing. The bolts Tlpermitadjlustment of stops 7 The means for auto-H matically closing the ,door comprises the arms 8 which areactuated soas to engage f the door" and force-the same past theverti-- v cal dead center so as to permit the door to thenjc-lose'by gravity. The means for automatically actuating the arms 8 comprises, the fusible link connection 9 whichomay be of any suitable form, preferably that illus I trated in the. Curtiss applicatiox'l above re- Yferred to this'link being connected by means of the wires orrods' 10 to thelower-ends. of

machine" casing'for' the stems 11- a'ndfplate. members '13 are, also provided for the purthe upwardly extending stems1 1;.- Ap'er- I-tures 12 are provided in the top wall of the pose of maintaining the openings-12 closed at alltimes during the operation of'the 'device.' Thejstem's 11' extend." through aper-" 'tur'es'in' the plates 13 and are connected at their upper ends to the .cam .members 14' which are: fixed jupo n. the reciprocatory rods 7' These rods are mounted for movement in the base portions ofth'e supports 7. The springs 17 abut at? their ends against the" 'portions 7 of the supports "7 and'at their lotherends-against j-the collars18 which are .fixe'd upon the rods 15. When the parts are,

in normal position as indicated in Fig. 2f

the springs 17 are held under compression.

The'cam members l l when released melting of the fuse and action or. the springs .17, are I vforced into; engagement with: the

within the base portions of the supports'Y, as indicated at the point 20. The other end overlying end portions of the lever arms 19 v which lIl each case is p votally mounted s of, each leverarm overliesfandfis adapt'ed't'o portion of the lever arm 21 which is fixed upon the shaft 22. ,4 The shaft 22 is in turn i be brought into engagement with I the end rotatably mounted .j wit'hin the base portionof thesupport 'Z andxhas :finedi thereon the i arms Biwhich are adapted to engage the door, 1

5 for closing the same. The lever armjQi is provided with a spring 23 engaging. the

other side thereof and having abutment against the base portion of the support 7 so as to tend to maintain the arms 8 away from and out of engagement with the door 5.

In case of fire causing the melting of the fuse 9, the rods 15 are forced outwardly by means of the tension of the springs 17, the plates 13 sliding over the openings 12 as the stems 11 move therewith. In this way the cams 14L engage underneath the ends of the levers 19 and cause the same to be rocked in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing. This causes rotation of the levers 21 in a clockwise direction as viewed in the same figures, and forces the arms into engagement with the door 5 for closing the same in a manner already described.

There is provided also on one end of the container casing the flue 24-, which is secured thereto by means of the bracket 25, for supplying air to the inside of the casing. The damper 26 is fixed upon the shaft 27 which is rotatably mounted in the flue and the other end portion of the bracket 25. Fixed upon the shaft 27 there is provided the upwardly extending lever arm 28 whichhas also a depending portion 29 connected by means of the spring 30 with a. portion of the bracket 25 for normally maintaining the damper in open position, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In case of fire, outward extension of one of the rods 15 will cause its bevelled end tovengage the lever arm 28 and thereby effect closing of the damper 26 against the tension of the spring 30. In this way the fire within the casing is cut off from outside air.

It will be seen that in the present form of device practically the entire train of mechanism for closing the door as well as the damper is located outside of the casing, except for the fuse itself and the connections from the fuse to the upwardly extending stems which carry the cams. As a result of this arrangement ready access can be had to the mechanism and furthermore practically the entire inside space in the container is left unobstructed.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a container for inflammable material, said container having an opening, a door for said opening, and thermally controlled means including actuating cam means located outside of said container for automatically closing said door in case of fire.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a container for inflammable material, said container having an opening, a door for said opening, and ther mally controlled means including a heat responsive member located lllSltlB of said container and a cam member located outside of said container for automatically closing said door in case of fire within said container,

3. In a machine of .the class described, the combination of a container for inflammable material, said container having an opening, a door for said opening, and thermally controlled means for automatically closing said door, including a reciprocatory cam member located outside of said container, a heat responsive member located inside of said container, a connection between'said heat responsive member and said cam member, and means associated with said connection for maintaining said container closed at all times at the point where Y said connection extends through said container.

4:. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a container for inflammable material, said container having an opening, a door for said opening, and thermally controlled means for automatically closing said door, including a reciprocatory cam member outside of said container, means normally tending to close the door, said means including a spring actuated cam located outside of said container, a heat responsive member located inside of said container, and a connection between said heat responsive member and said cam member. V

5. In a machine of" the class described, the combination of a container for inflammable material, said container having an opening, a door for said opening, and thermally controlled means for automatically closing said door, including a heat respon sive member and cam means connected there with, said heat responsive member and cam member being located one on the inside and the other on the outside of said container.

6. In a machine of the classdescribed, the combination of a container for inflammable material, said container having an opening, a door for said opening, and thermally controlled means i forautomatically closing said door, including a reciprocatory cam member outside of said container, a heat responsive member located inside said container, a connection. between said heat responsive member and said cam member, and slidable means associated with said connection for maintaining said container closed at all times at the point where said connection extends thron'gh said container.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a container for inflam mable material, said container having an opening, a door for said opening, and thermally controlled means for automatically closing said door, including a reciprocatory cam member outside of said container, ii. heat responsive member located inside said container, a connection between said heat actuation of said connection, whereby said 7 said container having an opening through all times.

responsive member and said cam member, opening is maintained'efiectively closed at which said connection extends, and a slide In testimony. whereof I hereby afiix iny plate larger than said opening and through signature.

which said connection extends so that the said plate will move in response to the GEORGE W. WILSON. 

